Door suspension and actuating means



Oct. 6, 1942. E. H. PIRON DOOR SUSPENSION AND ACTUATING MEANS Filed Nov. 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Zip/779m BY ATTORNEY.

Oct. 6, 1942. E. H. PIRON DOOR SUSPENSION AND ACTUATII IG MEANS Filed Nov. 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOK ATTORNEY.

E. H. PIRON DOOR SUSPENSION AND ACT UATING MEANS File d Nov 29; 1946 :s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 7 /rw? BY &" 04% ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 6, 1942 3 2,298,158 DOOR SUSPENSION AND ACTUATING NIEANS Emil H. Piron, New York, N. Y., assignor to Transit Research Corporation, a corporation of New York Application November 29, 1940, Serial No. 367,825

Claims.

This invention relates to folding doors for 7 public vehicles such as street railways cars and has for its primary object to provide a set of door leaves and an improved door operating mechanism and guiding means therefor by which the movements of the leaves may be directed both top and bottom without, however, subtracting from the maximum width of passageway between said leaves.

Conventionally, such doors are pivotally supported at top and bottom upon swinging levers, and ordinarily the upper and lower levers associated with each door leaf are connected together or mounted upon a common actuating shaft. cause simultaneous movement of the upper and lower levers. The door leaves are suspended on parts of comparatively light construction, and it is found that Where the translating and rotating forces are applied to only the top or only the bottom the end which follows the other has a tendency to drag, especially where movement of the following ends is interfered with bydirt, snow or ice, and the result is generally an unsatisfactory operation. It is another object of this invention to provide for positive operation of the leaves both at the top and bottom thereof.

I am aware that the above drawbacks, to

direction of only one end of each leaf, have been recognized and that positive operation of each leaf at both upper and lower end is obtained in some installations by means of a vertical shaft which forces both ends to follow the same motion by virtue of linkage connections thereto. However, where the leaf supporting arms are mounted upon a common shaft, the shaft must be mounted outside of the positions occupied by either of the leaves, so as to avoid interference with translation and rotation thereof. This results in the necessity for providing a considerable amount of space for accommodation of the door actuating means, and in the case of street railway cars the necessary space can be obtained only by sacrificing space needed for other car operating equipment, as well as space which is valuable from the standpoint of passenger accommodation. From this latter standpoint, much of the valuable space otherwise occupied by the door operating and supporting means can be made available for other uses by providing door supporting and operating means which is so constructed that during translation and rotation of the leaves the leaves may move through the axis about which translation takes place.

The purpose of this arrangement is to- Accordingly, it is the principal object of the invention to provide door supporting and operating means so constructed and arranged that during translation and rotation the door leaves pass through the axis about which translation takes place, and more particularly, a mechanism of this type wherein both the upper and lower ends of the leaves are caused to move in unison. In other words, the object is to provide a door combination including the advantages pointed out above which are present when the upper and lower leaf supporting levers are mounted on a common shaft, without the necessity for providing the space necessary to accommodate it. To the accomplishment of this end, each leaf is supported by upper and lower levers, which are equipped with a synchronizing mechanism responsive to the rotating motion of the leaf. Each leaf has a pin at its top which operates in a shrouded cam or groove so that When the upper lever is swung the leaf is caused to rotate relatively to the lever. The lower lever is equipped with gearing or equivalent means so constructed and arranged that when the leaf is rotated the lever is swung through a motion very similar to that imparted to the upper lever.

With the arrangement above described, the upper end of the leaf is power actuated, and the forces necessary to so actuate the lower end is transmitted through the torsional resistance of the leaf, and no drag of the trailing end of the leaf is present. The action which forces the lower lever to move in unison with the upper lever is transmitted through the leaf, by its rotation, instead of being transmitted through a vertical shaft connecting the two levers.

Other objects and advantages will become more fully apparent as reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein my invention is illustrated and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the door assembly,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view,

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of one of the lower levers and gear means,

Fig. 5 is a cross section of one of the lower levers and gear means, and

Fig. 6 is a detail of the attachment between door and lower lever.

More particularly I and 2 indicate twin door leaves of the type conventionally used on street cars and on several types of buses.

The leaf I is supported at its upper end by a shaft 3 mounted for rotation in and support by a lever arm 4, and the leaf 2 is supported at its upper end by a shaft mounted for rotation and support by a lever arm 6. The lever arm 4 is rotatably supported by a short shaft 1, and the lever arm 6 is supported by a rotatable short shaft 8, the latter two shafts being supported by a suitable overhead construction generally indicated at 9.

The leaf I is supported at its lower end by a shaft I I) mounted for rotation in and support by a lever arm II, and the leaf 2 is supported at its lower end by a shaft I2 mounted for rotation in and support by a lever arm I3. The lower lever arm II is supported by a rotatable shaft I4, and the lower lever arm I3 is supported by a rotatable shaft I5. The shaft I4 is rotatably supported in coaxial relationship with the short shaft I by a bracket I6, and the shaft I5 is rotatably supported in coaxial relationship with the short shaft 8 by a bracket II.

Fixedly connected to the lever arm 4 is a radial actuating arm I8 and fixedly connected to the lever arm 6 is a radial actuating arm IS. The actuating arms I8 and I9 are connected by links 20 and 2| respectively to opposite ends of a pivoted lever 2Ia, the latter being fixed upon a shaft 22 which is adapted to be moved rotatively by any suitable power means (not shown). It is apparent that when the shaft 22 is moved rotatively in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, the link 20 and arm I8 causes the short shaft 1 to rotate counterclockwise, and the link 2| and arm I9 causes the shaft 8 to rotate in a clockwise direction. This causes translation of the leaves I and 2 about the axes of the shafts I and 8.

Suitably mounted above the leaf I is a bracket 23 having a guide slot 24 therein, and suitably mounted above the leaf 2 is a similar bracket 25 having a similar guide slot 26. An upwardly projecting pin 21, mounted upon the leaf I, projects into the guide slot 24, and an upwardly projecting pin 28, mounted upon the leaf 2, projects into the guide slot 26. The angularity of the slots 24 and 26 are such, as viewed in Plan, that when the lever arms 4 and 6 are swung as above described the door leaves are caused to rotate relative to respective levers 4 and 6. The direction of rotation of the leaves is such that the abutting edges of the two leaves I and 2 swing outwardly and the two leaves finally move into parallel relationship as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 also illustrates that the door leaves I and 2 are so supported that they swing through the axes of the shafts 1 and 8, or differently stated, the shafts I and 8 instead of being disposed laterally outwardly on opposite sides of the door leaves, are mounted directly above the door leaves. With this arrangement it is impossible, of course, to extend the short shaft 1 downwardly for connection with the shaft I4, or to extend the short shaft 8 downwardly for connection with the shaft I5, to cause power actuation of the levers I I and I3 simultaneously with power actuation of the levers 4 and 6. Therefore, the forces necessary to cause power actuation of the levers II and I3 are transmitted through the leaves themselves. I

As may be seen more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6, the shaft In which is rotatably mounted in the lever II for supporting the leaf I has a gear pinion 29 on its lower end. Its upper end is keyed to a sleeve 30 which is clamped by a wedge-like element 3| in a bracket 32 connected to the leaf I. Meshing with the pinion 29 is an idler gear 33, rotatably mounted on the lever I I. The idler gear 33 meshes with a fixed arcuate rack 34 which is supported by the bracket I6.

As the door leaf I is swung and rotated by forces applied to its upper end, such forces are transmitted through the leaf. The rotating forces and motion act through the gearing and cause the lever II to swing and to follow very closely the swinging motion of lever 4. The result is that the lower end of the leaf I will follow the upper end without sticking or dragging, and without any appreciable deflecion of the leaf.

Gearing identical to that above described is mounted in association with the lever I3 so that the operation of the leaf 2 is identical to that of the leaf I, except, of course, that it is in the opposite direction.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims, and such changes are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a door leaf, of independent means at top and bottom ends of said leaf supporting the leaf for translation around one axis and rotation around another axis, means at one end for causing rotation of the leaf incident to translation, means operable by external forces for causing translation of the first named means at said end, and means at the other end of the leaf responsive to forces transmitted through the leaf for causing translation of said other end simultaneously with the first end in response to rotation initiated at said other end.

2. The combination with a door leaf, of independent means at top and bottom ends of said leaf supporting the leaf for translation and rotation, means for actuating one of said means from an external power source, means associated with said one means for causing rotation of the leaf incident to translation, and means at the other end of the leaf responsive to forces transmitted through the door for causing translation of said other end in response to the rotation of the leaf.

3. The combination of a door leaf, means at the upper end and means at the lower end supporting the leaf for arcuate translation about one axis and for rotation about a second axis spaced from the first axis and so related with the sides of the leaf that at least a part of the leaf passes through the first axis during translation and rotation of the leaf, means responsive to external forces for causing translation of one end of the leaf, means for causing rotation of said end incident to translation, and means at the other end responsive to forced rotation of the leaf for causing translation of the other end.

4. The combination of a door leaf, a pair of vertically spaced lever arms located above and below the leaf, means supporting said lever arms for swinging movement about coaxial axes, means mounting said leaf on said lever arms for translation thereby and for rotation therebetween in such manner that at least a part of said leaf passes between the upper and lower means adapted to respond to external forces for causing swinging movement of one lever arm to cause translation of the adjacent end of said leaf, means for causing rotation to the same end incident to translation, and means responsive to rotation of said leaf for causing simultaneous translation of the other end.

5. The combination of a door leaf, a pair of vertically spaced lever arms located above and below the leaf, means supporting said lever arms for swinging movement about coaxial axes, means mounting said leaf on said lever arms for translation thereby and for rotation therebetween in such manner that at least a part of said leaf passes between the upper and lower axes, means adapted to respond to external forces for causing swinging movement of the upper lever arm, means for causing rotation of theupper end of the door incident to translation, means responsive to external forces for swinging said upper lever arm, and means responsive to rotation of said door for causing swinging movement of the lower lever arm whereby the lower end of said leaf is caused to rotate simultaneously with the upper end thereof.

6. The combination of a door leaf, means at the top of said leaf supporting the leaf for translation and rotation and having an actuator connected thereto adapted to actuate the same to cause translation of the upper end of the leaf, means for causing rotation of the upper end of the leaf incident to translation thereof, and a guiding means at the bottom of the leaf including gearing responsive to rotative forces transmitted through the leaf for causing translation of the lower end thereof.

'7. The combination of a door leaf, means at the 7 top of said leaf supporting the leaf for transla tion and rotation and having an actuator connected thereto adapted to actuate the same to cause translation of the upper end of the leaf,

slot and pin means for causing rotation of the upper end of the leaf incident to translation thereof, and a guiding means at the bottom of the leaf including gearing responsive to rotative forces transmitted through the leaf for causing translation of the lower end thereof.

8. The combination of a door leaf, means at the top of said leaf supporting the leaf for translation and rotation and having an actuator connected thereto adapted to actuate the same to cause translation of the upper end of the leaf, means for causing rotation of the upper end of the leaf incident to translation thereof, and a combined supporting and guiding means at the bottom of the leaf including gearing responsive to rotative forces transmitted through the leaf for causing translation of the lower end thereof.

9. The combination of a door leaf, coaxial shafts located above and below said leaf, lever arms radiating from said shafts, means supporting the leaf for rotation between the free ends of said lever arms, a lever connected to the upper one of said lever arms and adapted to have forces from an external source applied thereto for swinging the upper lever arm, slot and pin guide means for causing rotation of the upper end of said leaf incident to swinging movement of the upper lever arm, and gearing connected to said leaf and carried by the lower lever arm and responsive to forces transmitted through the leaf for causing swinging movement of the lower lever arm.

10. The combination of a door leaf, coaxial shafts located above and below said leaf, lever arms radiating from said shafts, means supporting the leaf for rotation between the free ends of said lever arms, said means being spaced from a vertical edge of the leaf a distance such that a portion of said leaf passes between said shafts when the leaf is rotated relative to the arms, a lever connected to the upper one of said lever arms and adapted to have forces from an external source applied thereto for swinging the upper lever arm, slot and pin guide means for causing rotation of the upper end of said leaf incident to swinging movement of the upper lever arm, and gearing connected to said leaf and carried by the lower lever arm and responsive to forces transmitted through the leaf for causing swinging movement of the lower lever arm.

EMIL H. PIRON. 

